Discussion

Pinole  Antlers Tavern  The $5 Tri Tip Dinner

Antlers Tavern is a hard core bar that serves one meal only a night, probably so the customers get some sort of nutrition.

But they do that one meal right. That was one tasty tri tip dinner. There was a generous serving of perfectly cooked (IMO) beef. The interior was pink, but not too pink and the exterior was nicely browned and pleasantly salty. There was a nice smokiness to the eight large slices of Tri Tip.

It came with soupy beans that had ground beef, probably ground up trim from the Tri Tip. A piece of out of season corn on the cob completed the meal. This wasnt a place that was going to give you a bread basket.

You go up to the 15 stool wooden bar (all seats occupied) and ask for the dinner. A minute later a teal blue plastic plate is brought out and you pay for it and take a seat.

Wednesday is Tri Tip Night. Thursday is steak dinner night ($7). Friday is Prime Rib night ($7). There is lunch served Monday thru Friday from 11 am to 2 pm. I have no clue what they serve. I think I amused the bar enough asking for a menu. Some people came in and ordered the dinner to take out.

There are about a dozen beers on tap. As I said, no menus, no wine or cocktail list, just beers and booze.

Theres a pool table and eight 20 inch TVs in various locations broadcasting sports programs. Another TV is set to the lottery channel. A country music station was playing background music.

There are wooden tables and chairs and dull mirrors in back of the bar. The lighting is low. In keeping with the name, there is a real moose head, another mounted head, probably Bambis dad, and a bronze deer head with antlers.

At first I thought they decorated early for St. Patricks Day, but the shamrocks were hung from the still lighted Christmas garlands. I have a feeling that they decorated one time for the holidays and just left the decorations up. There were lots of unlighted neon beer signs and some pictures of sports figures.

Other than the customers glancing in your direction when you entered the bar, everyone left you alone if you wanted to be left alone. The customers seem like decent working class people relaxing a big after work. It is actually a great place to sit and read. Antlers was clean and not shabby.

This year on Super Bowl Sunday they offered a $20 all you can eat crab dinner. It seems like it would be a great place to watch a major sports event.

I lingered over my beer until it was time to go to the wine tasting and class across the street which had the anti-Antlers crowd. I found both groups very pleasant.

I had planned to go to Fifth Floor on Wednesday, but decided to put it off until Thursday so I could take advantage of a five buck dinner and the wine class.

Dinner $5, beer $3, wine tasting and class $10 for a grand total of $18. Ill probably pay more than that for parking to go to Fifth Floor and I bet it wont be as entertaining.